When it comes to shopping for diamonds and fine jewelry today, the options truly are endless, and the Internet puts those options just a click away from your browsing fingertips. But what you won’t find online, or ready-made at any jewelry store in the world, is a diamond or piece of fine jewelry crafted exclusively for you. At Royal Asscher, our Bespoke Diamond and Jewelry Services offer you just that: the finest service and craftsmanship applied to your exact specifications and budget. The result? Diamonds and jewelry that go beyond beauty to create meaningful jewels meant to last a lifetime.

What is Bespoke Jewelry?

Today, bespoke, or custom, jewelry, is creating quite the buzz in the jewelry industry. As we move toward a more sustainable future and eschew fast fashion in favor of higher quality goods meant to last, diamonds and jewelry follow suit. You might be wondering “aren’t diamonds already forever?” and yes, of course, diamonds are known as the hardest substance on earth. However, there is still quite a big difference between what is available online or at major retailers and jewelry that is customized to your exact desires and specifications.

Bespoke jewelry, instead of being a product that is predesigned, fabricated and sold across the world a countless number of times, is created for you and only you. While many jewelers offer customization of items already in their catalog, (perhaps changing an engagement ring’s center stone shape or adding diamonds to a previously unadorned gold band), at Royal Asscher we go above and beyond.

Together, we will turn your dreams into brilliant reality, marrying design, material, and the craftsmanship that only comes with six generations of diamond and jewelry expertise.

What are the Benefits of Bespoke Jewelry?

Made especially for each client, bespoke jewelry is crafted to celebrate your personal special occasions, with your needs and budget in mind. No one has ever owned it before, nor can anyone in the future purchase the same item, making it truly one-of-a-kind. Bespoke jewelry also gives you greater control over the process of purchasing jewelry, with freedom of choice as to every detail of the gem or jewelry. With every piece of Royal Asscher Bespoke Jewelry, you are getting an intimate, personal level of service directly from the Asscher family. Our resources are at your fingertips, including the care and attention of the world’s best goldsmiths and diamond cutters, before, during, and after the purchase.

What is a Bespoke Diamond?

Each and every diamond on the market is unique, there is no doubt, and this is a big part of their charm. While no two diamonds will ever be quite the same, each with their own sparkle and color and clarity, many diamonds are cut the same. Most diamond manufacturers have a standard cutting pattern that may not take into account each diamond’s unique character. While this offers the customer a more expected look and feel, or nearly guaranteed sparkle, it doesn’t unlock the diamond that is meant to be yours.

At Royal Asscher, our Bespoke Diamond Service takes diamond cutting and customization to a higher level. It begins with you in mind. We get to know your style, the specifications of what you’re looking for, and design a diamond or piece of jewelry to match, rather than simply adjusting what already exists to fit your needs. It is an intimate journey into diamond craftsmanship, offering the truest Asscher heritage experience.  We pledge to find and reveal a diamond whose destiny is intertwined with yours, the one whose voice speaks only to you. Mike Asscher, sixth generation of Asscher family diamond cutters, personally oversees the creation of every Royal Asscher bespoke diamond, ensuring that your dream diamond is brought to life exclusively by the Asscher family.

The Bespoke Diamond Process

The process of designing your Royal Asscher diamond begins with a consultation between you and Mike Asscher. In this conversation we go deeper into the question: What is your perfect diamond? We will examine the details in terms of shape, size, color, clarity, and budget so that Mike can begin the search for the perfect piece of rough diamond that fits those needs. Note that our bespoke services start at 2 carats and above. For diamonds below 2 carats, we offer a wide range of beautiful diamond choices available for direct purchase.

With your preferences in mind, we will offer you several choices when it comes to color and clarity so that you can decide what matters most. If you like, you can visit us in Amsterdam to see similar diamonds with different characteristics, so that you can better understand what they look like with your own eyes. Once all of the 4Cs are determined and the budget is approved by you, we will start the exciting process of cutting your dream diamond.

How a Royal Asscher Diamond is Crafted

At Royal Asscher, we keep the highest standards for our rough diamonds, selecting from only the top 5% of in the world that are suited for our patented diamond cuts. Once we have the right stone in hand, we start with mapping out the rough to ensure we get the most beautiful diamond possible and not leave any carat weight unused.

We then laser saw the rough. The stone is mounted onto a dop (a lapidary tool used to secure a gem in place during the cutting process) for passage through the powerful laser beam, whilst the progress is monitored on a screen. The biggest advantage of laser cutting instead of the old methods of sawing, is its precision. Since this method causes less friction on the stone, it is also safer – although temperatures are extremely high.

The following step is called shaping. Depending on the final diamond shape desired, we brute the diamond or polish the girdle. A polished girdle is smooth and reflective. When looking at a diamond from the top, the girdle is the part of the stone that creates the outline. From the side, the girdle separates the pavilion, or bottom, from the crown, the set of facets around the top. The girdle wraps around the largest part of the diamond.

After the diamond has been shaped, it is sent to the blocker, who specializes in placing the first 4-8 main facets on a diamond. Next, it is sent to the master polisher who creates and polishes the remaining facets. All Royal Asscher diamonds have 74 facets, except the Royal Asscher Pear shape which has 78 facets. The inspiration for designing the patented diamond cuts this way comes form the family's historic cutting of the Cullinan diamond in the British Crown Jewels into gems that bear 74 facets.

When designing stones, as Mike says, “We look for the wow effect. And if it’s not there, it’s not good enough.” In each Royal Asscher diamond we cut, we look to unlock the most play of light, the brightest fire, and an intense personal character that the viewer can truly behold. To us, that is it. The feeling of beyond beauty.

Then the polishing starts, and the stone is faceted to our exacting specifications. Extra care is required at this stage because the angles of each individual facet must be exact in order to yield maximum brilliance, and their sizes must be accurately regulated to preserve symmetry for the gem’s overall beauty.

During this whole process, Mike Asscher and the master polishers at Royal Asscher Diamonds work together on a continuous basis to ensure the diamond is exactly as you desire. The most intense moments are witnessed when the polisher shows the process of the diamond polishing. During this process you may be called by Mike Asscher for a private viewing. The other option is to come and visit us during this process and witness it yourselves.

Once the diamond is done. Mike will view the diamond for accuracy and if the angles of the symmetrical facets are even 0.1 degree off, Mike will ask the polisher to adjust the diamond to create the most beautiful diamond. This immense talent for honing the natural qualities of a diamond into something beyond beauty leads to the perfect end result.

Diamond Grading and Certification

Once it is finished and approved by Mike Asscher, your diamond will go to an independent laboratory for diamond grading. There, it will receive a laser inscription on the girdle with the Royal Asscher logo and the certificate number, so you always know this stone is an authentic Royal Asscher diamond and it has been independently graded so you know the exact color and clarity. The independent laboratory will only give the Royal Asscher diamond Company the Royal Asscher name in the description of the cut and will only for Royal Asscher use the Royal Asscher logo. No other company can get this done by an independent laboratory, only the proprietary holder of the patents. All Royal Asscher diamonds come with both the Royal Asscher authenticity certificate as well as a certificate from an independent laboratory like GIA, HRD or DeBeers lab.

Turning Your Bespoke Diamond into Jewelry

With your one-of-a-kind, patented Royal Asscher diamond in hand, it is time to meet Lita Asscher to design the ring or piece of jewelry of your dreams. The process is the epitome of custom-designed luxury that fabulously reflects its beholder. Our Bespoke Jewelry Service turns your diamond dreams into dazzling jewelry lovingly crafted for you and only you.‍ An exquisite marriage of design, material, and diamond, we’ll create a piece of jewelry that delivers a promise of timeless beauty tailor made for you. Lita Asscher personally guides you on this intimate journey offering the truest Asscher heritage experience.

Whether you’re a fine jewelry collector looking for the most incredible examples of brilliance and design or someone searching for a show stopping engagement ring that takes her breath away, at Royal Asscher, we will guide you through the process from browsing to beyond beauty. Coming to the table with insight and inspiration is helpful, but we will walk you through every step.

To begin your bespoke diamond and jewelry journey, schedule a call with Lita and Mike.